Torment of the Dragon
by pineapple dreamer
Summary: The dragon has grown impatient with Merlin and finds a way to get what he wants. Can Merlin find a way to stop him before he goes mad? Follows after "The Witch's Quickening" and spoilers for "The Curse of Cornelius Sigan." I do not own these characters.
1. Chapter 1

It had been a very long few days for Merlin and he found himself utterly exhausted as the first rays of sunlight woke him from his restless slumber. He wanted only to pull the blankets over his head and never leave the safety of his bed.

What he had seen in the crystal had shaken him to his very core and he felt terrified at what his future held. Thoughts of Camelot in ruins streaked across his much abused mind.

In the past three days he'd had druids talking much too loudly in his mind, the power of the crystal searing his brain, and now an angry dragon yelling at him while he tried to get some much needed sleep.

The headache that had started three days ago was monumentally worse and Merlin felt sure that it would plague him for days to come. With that pleasant thought he slowly dressed and tried calm all the horrible thoughts raging in his head.

He was hoping that Gaius would have left for his morning rounds already because he was sure he could not force himself to eat breakfast. His appetite had been nonexistent since he held the crystal and his headache was making him feel slightly nauseous.

Of course he had no such luck. Gaius watched him like a hawk as he stumbled out of his room, squinting at the bright light coming through the window. Merlin could not help the hand that went to his head in an attempt to stave off the suddenly much worse headache.

"Merlin, you look awful. Did you not get any sleep again?" Gaius asked with concern etched across his features.

Merlin folded himself in a chair and quietly replied, "Not much."

"What is it? Were you hearing voices again?"

Merlin had never told Gaius about his promise to set the great dragon free so he squinted his eyes shut in the hopes that this would help him lie better.

"No, just nightmares, about what I saw in the crystal." Merlin replied. He knew that this would have been true enough had he been given the luxury of sleeping.

Gaius looked sympathetic but did not press him for any details for which Merlin was very grateful. He was having a hard enough time eating his breakfast while his head threatened to split in two.

"Maybe you should stay here and rest today. You look rather pale."

A shiver ran down Merlin's spine. As tired as he was the thought of spending the day alone sounded horrible. He wanted to stay busy so his thoughts would not dwell on the future he had seen.

"I'm alright, I'm sure Arthur has a lot of stuff for me to do..as usual." Merlin replied.

"Alright, just remember what I told you last night. The future that you saw in the crystal is not absolute. You can change it for the better," he said kindly.

Merlin felt more weight added to his already burdened shoulders at this. He knew Gaius was only trying to comfort him but he felt so tired and worn and wished for once that he could be anybody else.

Why did his life have to be so difficult?

He knew the answer to this of course. His destiny to protect Arthur from all harm was never going to be easy. He figured his destiny was probably getting hungry so he forced himself out of his chair and to the kitchens to get Arthur's breakfast.

Of course he found the prince sitting at his table thrumming his fingers impatiently, just as he did almost every other morning. "Nice of you to join me Merlin, would it kill you to be on time just for once?"

"No, but the shock of it may just kill you sire, and I don't want to take that chance." Merlin replied with a cheeky grin.

Merlin began busying himself tidying up Arthur's chambers while the prince rambled off the long list of chores that needed doing for the day. Suddenly, a much louder voice interrupted everything else.

"_Merlin....Merlin....I know you can hear me, and it is foolish of you to think that you can ever ignore me."_

With a gasp Merlin dropped Arthur's armor as both hands flew to his aching head. "What do you want," Merlin whispered as his eyes watered from the pain.

"Merlin, what on earth are you doing?" Arthur's voice cut through the haze of pain.

Merlin slowly lowered his shaking hands from his temples and tried to look normal as he answered the prince, "Sorry, just tripped a little and dropped the..." Merlin's reply was cut off as the dragon spoke again.

"_You know exactly what I want and I will not let you rest until you keep your promise. Now set me free!"_

"No! No I can't. Not now, Camelot is not safe!" Merlin replied in a pained whisper. The pain from the dragon's yell made it hard for him to think. He forgot that he was not alone and was probably looking quite loony to the prince.

"Merlin! What is wrong with you? Are you ill?" Merlin opened his eyes to see Arthur standing very close. He was looking at Merlin with concern.

"I'm fine..I...eh" Merlin finished with a groan as the dragon invaded his mind once again.

"_I will get what I want from you young warlock. I will break you down until you have no choice but to set me free. That is my promise to you."_

Then, the dragon began to hum. It was a horrible, heart wrenching tune that made Merlin want to weep. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he was sure that this song was a song for his people, followers of the Old Religion who had died at Uther's hand.

Merlin felt lost in a sea of agony from his heart and his head. The humming was causing him unbearable pain. He vaguely felt himself being pushed onto Arthur's bed and immediately curled in on himself as much as he could, hands gripping his head.

"I'm going to find Gaius," he thought he heard Arthur say.

"Please...please make it stop," he begged the dragon weakly. Tears were coursing down his face. "Please, don't do this to me, I'll help you as soon as I can."

"_I have waited long enough. Now you will feel the pain that I have felt all these years, as my kind and your kind have been killed by that tyrant that imprisoned me here. You will not rest until you do as you promised me Emrys."_

The humming started again, much louder, and Merlin's mind could take no more abuse. He let himself sink into unconsciousness.

He awoke, sometime later, to find himself back at Gaius'. He must have been asleep for quite some time, because he felt somewhat rested. The humming continued and his head was still throbbing, but the absence of the exhaustion he had felt earlier helped him to combat the heartbreaking song in his head.

"Merlin! You're awake," Gaius said as he came into the room.

Merlin winced from the volume of his voice and said, "Sorry to worry everyone."

"What on earth happened? Arthur just said you looked like you were having some kind of fit. We found you unconscious in his room."

Merlin decided that now was the time to confess the deal that he had made with the great dragon. He was going to need Gaius' help to figure out a way to stop the dragon from tormenting him. After what he saw in the crystal, the last thing he could bear to do was set it free.

"There's something I must tell you, but first, could I have something for my head?" Merlin wasn't sure the pain relieving draught would work, but he was desperate for some relief.

"Are you in pain?" Gaius was back in physician mode, but Merlin waved him off and drank the draught.

"Yes, but it's connected to what I need to tell you."

Gaius sat down to listen to Merlin's story.

"It started when Sigan was trying to destroy Camelot. You told me to go ask for help from the great dragon. As we had no other choice, I did."

Gaius nodded, "And it was a good thing you did, Camelot was doomed."

Merlin nodded, "Yes, but what I didn't tell you was that the dragon had a condition for giving me the knowledge to kill Sigan."

"He made me give him my word that I would one day set him free."

Complete and utter silence followed this statement. Merlin looked up to see a shocked look on Gaius' face.

He eventually recovered, "Merlin! How could you make such a promise!"

"I had no other choice! It would have been impossible to kill Sigan without him and I could not let Arthur die!" Merlin replied in a hurt voice. How could Gaius think that he would ever agree to something like this had he another choice?

"I'm sorry Merlin, you're right. This is just very disturbing. Setting the dragon free would be terribly dangerous for Camelot. That dragon does not forgive or forget. Uther would surely be killed!"

"I know that." Merlin paused as he just realized that the horrible humming had stopped. It seemed that the dragon was listening in. As soon as Merlin began to breath a sigh of relief he heard a chuckle and the humming continued. Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

"What's wrong Merlin?"

"The dragon is impatient and is demanding that I set him free now. He's in my head Gaius, always. I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean he's always in your head?"

"Whenever he wants a word with me, he'll call to me in my mind. But last night, he began yelling. He stayed in my head all night, I couldn't sleep. And today, in Arthur's chambers, I told him that I could not set him free now, so he found another way to torment me."

"How?" Gaius asked quietly.

"He's humming. He's humming the most terrible song I've ever heard. It's a song for the dead. The dead followers of the Old Religion. He said he won't stop until I've kept my promise to him."

Merlin laid his aching head on his arms, "It's going to drive me mad. It affects me, it feels as though I knew these sorcerers, as though I have many dead brothers and sisters."

"And it causes you actual pain?"

Merlin nodded slowly. "Yes, it's always painful for me to have voices in my mind. But this is constant, I've got to find a way to stop it. Can you help me find a way?"

Gaius was looking at Merlin with such pity in his eyes that it was staggering. He hated to see his nephew hurting in any way and he could see the haunted pained look in his eyes that he would find any way to stop.

"Yes Merlin, of course I will help you. Now please, take this sleeping draught. I'll begin my research at once."

Merlin was so grateful to his uncle and took the draught at once. He fell asleep with a small amount of hope in his heart. Tomorrow was after all, another day.

_To be continued...._


	2. Chapter 2

_Camelot was ablaze....the great dragon reared its magnificent head and spewed fire from atop the highest turret. A figure lay sprawled upon the ground...eyes unseeing, life snuffed out. The Lady Morgana stood tall and beautiful, holding the hand of a child. "This is the way it had to be," she said in a sad, but confident voice. Merlin was running, so quickly, to the figure on the ground...Arthur...no..._

"NO!" Merlin woke up gasping and covered in icy sweat. His cry must have alerted Gaius because he came bursting into the room seconds later.

"Merlin! What's happening? Are you alright?"

Merlin was shivering uncontrollably, fighting the urge to throw up everything he had eaten for the last week. After several long seconds, he regained the ability to speak.

"I..uh..I had a nightmare. I dreamt about the dragon...he was free...setting fire to all of Camelot, and..."

Merlin trailed off. It was almost too painful to talk about the rest.

"And Arthur was there, he was dead. Morgana was standing over him, she was with a child...I couldn't see his face." Merlin had a good idea who the child may be...but of course this was just a dream. Why was he considering that the dream was a look into the future?

"_What an interesting dream, perhaps an omen of things to come young warlock," _the dragon chimed in arrogantly.

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut as his fear shot up another notch. "What do you think this means Gaius?"

"I don't think it's anything but a product over an overly abused mind. You've been through quite a lot these last few days. It's only natural that you would have dreams about the things you saw in that crystal."

"But this was more than what I saw in the crystal. Why was Morgana there?" Merlin asked desperately.

"Merlin, let's not add any more stress to the current situation. Let's assume for now that it was simply a dream. Now, how are you feeling this morning?"

Merlin considered before replying, "Better. The humming is still there, but getting sleep really helped my head. The pain is much more tolerable."

Gaius looked at Merlin closely to see if he was telling the truth. Merlin was still very pale and his eyes still had that same haunted look about them. He was satisfied enough though it seemed as he went on to tell Merlin about his findings.

"Well, last evening I took the liberty of looking through some of your books. I came across a spell that is used to protect a person's mind from outside forces. It's a sort of mind shield, that should be able to block the dragon."

"What do I have to do?" Merlin asked. He was starting to feel hopeful again. Had Gaius already solved his problem?

"It sounds to me that it's all a matter of focus. You speak the incantation _weox fremedon _and then it's simply a matter of force of mind."

Merlin felt his heart sinking. "You mean I have to consciously keep this shield going to keep the dragon out? How am I supposed to do anything else? I think Arthur will notice me staring off into space all day."

"I'll admit it's not the answer we are looking for. I just thought it would be helpful as a temporary fix. Until we find a way to stop the dragon for good."

Merlin heard a distinct chuckle in his mind. _"This will never work...it will take a great deal of focus to block me. I am of the Old Religion just as you are. Good luck keeping me out." _he said before continuing his humming at a higher pitch.

Merlin sighed and thanked Gaius for finding him a way to perhaps get a little relief from the dragon. His head was starting to pound again so he decided it was time for a bit of practice with the shield.

"_weox fremedon!" _he said as forcefully as he could. It was an odd sensation. It felt almost as though his entire head was being slowly encased in cool water. The humming stopped immediately and the cool feeling of the shield felt wonderful for his headache.

He could picture the shield in his mind and focused on how amazing it felt. Unfortunately, after only a couple of minutes he started hearing snippets of humming again. He focused harder on his shield and enjoyed the peace and quiet for a few minutes longer before letting the spell end.

He realized he was sweating with the effort of keeping the shield up and felt a bit tired. The humming was back louder than ever and he was left with a sick feeling that the dragon was going to win this battle.

His dream had seemed so real. The dragon out, wreaking havoc...perhaps killing Arthur. Merlin shivered at the thought. Merlin had to believe that no matter how much pain and suffering the dragon inflicted upon him he would never set him free.

It was all so confusing. The dragon had always told Merlin that it was his destiny to protect Arthur at all costs. Why had he dreamt that the dragon was responsible for Arthur's death? Of course, why was Morgana...and Mordred there.

He knew that Mordred was destined to kill Arthur...but he could not believe that Morgana would allow this to happen. She had to care about Arthur enough to keep Mordred at bay. Although, Morgana had done quite a few things that Merlin would never had thought her capable.

All of this dwelling on his dream was making him feel horrible. The humming made it almost impossible to think past the crushing fear and sadness that had enveloped him since yesterday.

He made his way downstairs to start his day.

After a few bites of breakfast he started toward Arthur's chambers. He knew that he should probably say that he was too ill to attend to the prince today and try to find some way out of his predicament with the dragon, but he was still frightened by the image of Arthur lying dead. He wanted to be sure he was okay.

So he arrived a few minutes later with Arthur's breakfast. When he entered the chamber he was surprised to find Arthur already dressed and ready to leave. Arthur looked up at him in surprise.

"Merlin! What are you doing here? I assumed you would be needing the day off."

"I'm feeling much better sire."

Arthur studied him closely to see if he was telling the truth. "You still don't look very well. I stopped by last evening to see how you were doing."

Merlin felt surprised and a bit touched by this act of kindness. "Thank you for your concern. I assure you I'm well enough for my duties today."

"You're being oddly polite today Merlin," Arthur said while looking him over critically. "Are you sure you're well?" he added with a smirk.

Merlin just rolled his eyes. Talking with Arthur was already making him feel a bit more like himself. The pain in his heart was not as sharp.

"Well, I hope you're up for a bit of training today. I need some help with my mace work," Arthur said.

"You may as well help me into my armor since you're here now."

Helping Arthur train always required a good deal of concentration, so for once Merlin was pleased to be heading out into the grounds in his too heavy armor.

The training session was rigorous to say the least. Merlin was aching all over and knew he'd be quite sore later. Arthur had been surprised at Merlin's focus and even complimented him a bit. The humming had been hardly noticeable while he had been dodging Arthur's blows.

They were walking back towards the castle when it happened.

"_I hope you enjoy this beautiful Camelot for soon it will all be in ruins. A great uprising is upon us young warlock. You will set me free or suffer the consequences of a destiny unfulfilled. DO NOT ALLOW FEAR TO BLIND YOU!" _The dragon was roaring in Merlin's head.

The humming continued with a renewed intensity. Merlin had tensed to a stop while the dragon shouted his warning; fear and pain wracked his mind. The song was so loud in his head, the pain and sadness were fast becoming unbearable.

Arthur noticed that Merlin had fallen behind. He turned to see Merlin shaking and white with what could only be fear. Arthur drew his sword and was looking around for the danger that was surely causing this reaction.

Merlin seemed oblivious to everything around him, he was lost in a vision of Camelot destroyed and Arthur lying dead at his feet. The music was making it impossible for him to shut it out. Merlin felt as though his head would split with the pain of it and collapsed onto his knees.

With little thought for anything else, only wanting the agony to stop, Merlin gripped his head with both hands and whispered, "_weox fremedon"._

Arthur watched in fascination and extreme confusion as his servant's eyes flashed a beautiful gold before Merlin crumpled the rest of the way to the ground.

Arthur stood frozen to the spot as a terrible realization swept over him. Merlin was a sorcerer. That had to be magic. People's eyes do not change color like that. His mind was a jumbled mess, but the sounds of Merlin stirring ripped him from his thoughts.

Merlin had a strange look on his face. His eyes were glazed and he seemed to be looking just over Arthur's shoulder.

"Arthur," he whispered weakly, "I'm sorry. Please, just make it stop."

Arthur was shocked to see tears leaking from Merlin's eyes. In that moment he realized how much Merlin truly meant to him. In that moment he did not care that Merlin may be a sorcerer. All he wanted was to help him.

"Make what stop Merlin...is someone hurting you?" Arthur asked desperately. He had never felt so useless.

"He won't get out of my head...I've seen terrible things," the effort to talk was sapping Merlin of his remaining energy. He could feel the shield slipping away, it had barely worked this time.

"Shh..don't talk, you're very weak. I'll get you to Gaius." With that, Arthur scooped up his much too thin friend and made his way to the physician's quarters.

As he carried Merlin through the castle an anger began to grip Arthur. Something was hurting Merlin, and sorcerer or not, Merlin was his best friend. In that moment, he vowed to end Merlin's suffering at any cost.

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin was unconscious by the time Arthur arrived with him at Gaius' chambers. The physician rushed to help Arthur lay Merlin on a nearby bed. Gaius started to question the prince, but Arthur simply raised a hand to silence the man.

"I just witnessed Merlin do what could only be magic. How long have you know that he is a sorcerer?"

Arthur asked.

Gaius, who had paled considerably at the question, thought for a moment before answering. The desire to lie was very strong but the fact that he had not taken Merlin directly to Uther was promising. "Since the day he arrived in Camelot, sire."

A look of surprise crossed Arthur's features. Gaius continued quickly, "Well, he saved my life that day. He used his magic to catch me when I took a tumble from the second floor there." Gaius indicated the place where he had fallen with a wave of his hand.

"And you decided to keep all this from my father?"

"What else could I have done? He is my nephew and it would have been certain death. I could not see him killed for something that he could not help but be," Gaius replied.

"What do you mean 'something he could not help but be'? You and I both know that sorcery is learned."

"Sire, beg your pardon, but that is simply not so in all cases. Merlin was born with magic. His mother told me that he was moving objects with his mind before he could even speak."

This bit of information was making Arthur's blood run cold. Some people were born with magic? How many countless people had been slaughtered simply because they had been born with magic? He didn't want to consider that at the moment. He was more concerned with Merlin.

"Can you wake him up Gaius," Arthur asked, looking over at Merlin. Even in sleep he looked pained. "I'd really like some answers."

"Please sire, I think it would be kinder to just let him sleep for awhile. He'll only be in pain if we wake him." Gaius was looking at Merlin with sadness in his eyes. "I think I could answer any of your questions."

Arthur really wanted to ask Merlin why he had kept his magic a secret from him for so long. He didn't want to admit it but he was feeling rather hurt by this. He could understand why at first he had not told him, but now...he thought they had grown quite close. He trusted Merlin with his life...how many times had Merlin saved his life with his magic? Arthur shivered at the thought.

"What's wrong with him? He said something was in his head right before he collapsed," Arthur said.

"That would be the great dragon imprisoned under the castle," Gaius simply stated.

"The what!" Arthur was staring at Gaius as if he'd lost his mind. "I think I would know if there was a dragon under the castle. I know for a fact that my father had all the dragons killed during the great purge!" Arthur finished.

Gaius decided it was time for drastic measures. Arthur was not going to believe him without proof.

"Perhaps you would like to meet him?"

"You're serious? You're going to introduce me to a dragon?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"Please sire, you said you wanted answers. Why not get them from the source of Merlin's problem?"

He looked over at his friend, lying pale and unconscious and figured he may as well humor the old man. He was obviously going to have to wait for Merlin to wake up before he got any real answers.

"Fine, let's go meet this dragon," Arthur answered with a sigh.

The walk to the cavern under the castle was uneventful. Both men were lost in their own troubled thoughts. Out of nowhere Arthur began to hear music....the sound of someone humming.

"What is that Gaius? Who is down here?" Arthur asked.

Gaius said nothing as they were just rounding the corner and stepping into the cavern. "See for yourself sire."

The cavern was huge...Arthur was shocked at the size of it. But even more shocking was the great dragon, perched on a rocky ledge. Arthur's look of surprise and disbelief was almost comical. He was spluttering incoherently when the dragon seemed to take notice of his visitors.

"Well, if it isn't the great Arthur Pendragon, the once and future king. I take it that you two are here on behalf of Merlin."

Arthur turned to Gaius, "There is a _talking _dragon down here. How is that even possible?"

"I am a creature of the Old Religion, more powerful than you could even begin to imagine. Your friend is also of the Old Religion. I was hoping that my next visitor would be Merlin," the dragon said.

Gaius spoke up angrily, "Thanks to you Merlin isn't up for anything right now."

"Merlin must overcome his weakness if he is to stop the future that I have witnessed."

"And just what have you witnessed?" Arthur asked.

"Why would I trust the only son of Uther Pendragon? You are not yet ready to hear my words," the dragon replied.

"What does my father have to do with this? My father is not hurting Merlin; it seems that is your doing."

The dragon laughed ominously, "Your father has _everything_ to do with this."

"Gaius, do you have any idea what he is talking about? Why is this dragon here?" Arthur asked.

"During the great purge Uther had all of the dragons killed...all except this one of course. With the help of sorcery, this dragon was to be bound here for the rest of it's life.."

Arthur interrupted here, "Are you telling me that my father worked with a sorcerer to lock up this dragon?"

"That's exactly what he's saying young prince. Uther killed everyone of my kind, my family, before binding me here to live alone with my misery. Only a sorcerer of the old religion has any chance of setting me free....and Uther did a fine job of killing and banishing anyone with even a hint of magic."

Arthur felt sick. Had his father really used magic to achieve this before mercilessly slaughtering so many people? His thoughts went back to Merlin. "Why are you hurting Merlin? Surely he is not capable of freeing you."

The dragon laughed, "I sensed Merlin before he had even stepped into Camelot. His coming had been prophesied in the books of the old religion. Merlin wields immense power and will one day become the greatest sorcerer to ever walk among us."

This time Arthur laughed, "Really? Why on earth would a powerful sorcerer ever agree to be a _servant? _That doesn't even make any sense."

Gaius answered, "Merlin arrived here looking for a new start. He knew that he had magic but had no idea what it's purpose was. We both know what a kind heart he has...I'm sure he has never even thought about using it for evil."

"His first day here he witnessed a man being executed for being a sorcerer. What choice did he have but to try and blend in and keep himself hidden from Uther?" Gaius added.

The dragon spoke up, "Merlin's destiny has always been intertwined with yours, young prince. You are two sides of the same coin."

Arthur looked confused.

"Merlin has been using his magic to help you sire; I'm sure he's helped you out of some tough situations in the past," Gaius supplied.

"Merlin knows that his destiny is to keep you alive. The once and future king will unite the land of Albion by bringing magic back to the kingdom," the dragon said.

All of this talk of magic and destiny was making Arthur's head ache. He could barely wrap his mind around the fact that Merlin was a sorcerer...now he was talking to a _dragon_ about his future as a king. His patience was waning quickly.

"All that aside...why are you hurting Merlin?"

"A few months ago Merlin and I struck a bargain. Camelot was about to fall to Sigan. Merlin came to me for help in destroying him. For that knowledge I demanded my freedom in return."

Arthur seethed with anger, "So you put Merlin in an impossible situation? You knew he would have to agree to set you free."

"I have spent many long years here waiting for Merlin. I have done my time for crimes I have never committed. Merlin promised me freedom and the time is right for him to act. Camelot is in grave danger."

"What kind of danger?" Arthur asked, not really expecting an answer.

The dragon stared at Arthur for a long while, as though considering whether or not to trust him.

"There is a great uprising upon us. Many will perish at the hands of the witch and her druid ally. Camelot will burn and surely fall. The time of Uther Pendragon's reign must come to an end or the magic he abhors will destroy us all."

Arthur's head was spinning, all of this was too much. "What are we supposed to do? Who are the witch and druid that you speak of?"

"Your only choice, Arthur Pendragon, is to trust me and heed my words. Convince Merlin to set me free and Camelot will stand a chance of surviving what is to come. Convince Merlin to set me free and Merlin's pain will end and he can take his rightful place by your side."

"Save your kingdom young prince....save it from the tyranny of your father." the dragon said as he flew away.

Arthur was lost in a world of confusion. He vaguely felt Gaius steering him out of the cave. What was he to do? He suddenly felt what must be the weight of the world on his shoulders. He realized that Merlin must have been feeling this way since he arrived in Camelot.

He desperately wanted to help his friend but did not know where to begin. He had no idea what danger was actually coming to Camelot and he only knew of one way to allow magic back into the kingdom. The thought made him shudder. Too many questions were pounding in his sore head.

He needed to talk to Merlin...only Merlin could give him the answers that he needed. He would do everything in his power to gain his trust. His head cleared a bit at the thought of talking with Merlin. Everything would make sense after that.....he could only hope.

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin came back to consciousness very slowly. He kept his eyes closed for a long while as he tried to remember why he was feeling so dreadful. His sluggish mind tried to think back at what happened. It all came back to him in a rush that had him gasping for breath. Had Arthur seen him do magic?

Finally opening his eyes, he looked at his surroundings. He was in his room. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way Arthur had seen him do magic, he would most certainly be in the dungeon awaiting his execution if that were the case. This thought pained him greatly; he would give anything to be able to trust Arthur with his secret.

"_Weox fremedon!" _Merlin whispered weakly. The dragon had not tired of his song and Merlin knew that he would not be letting up any time soon. The shield lasted only a few seconds as Merlin was feeling too weak to hold it in place.

Merlin slowly sat up and noticed with some shock that the sun was setting. He could not believe that he had been passed out for almost an entire day. Stretching out his sore muscles, Merlin decided to let Gaius know that he was still alive.

"Merlin!" The sound of Arthur's voice was not what Merlin had been expecting. He jerked his head up in surprise, resulting in a sharp stab of pain behind his eyes. Arthur was sitting at the table with Gaius. Merlin did not like the way Arthur was looking at him, he did not understand the look in his eyes. It was almost respectful.

Gaius jumped to his feet at once and walked towards Merlin. "How are you feeling? We've been quite concerned." Merlin answered Gaius with his usual, "I'm fine."

Arthur snorted in disbelief and Merlin felt himself suddenly irritated that the prince was there. His head ached miserably and he needed to talk to Gaius and he could not do that openly with Arthur there. With a barely contained sigh Merlin asked, "Is there something you need me for sire?"

"What? No Merlin, I'm not here to give you chores. I'm here because I'm your friend and we really need to talk...alone if that's alright Gaius." Merlin watched, dumbfounded as Gaius left the room. What on earth would Arthur need to talk about? His curiosity was getting the better of him so he made his way to the table where he sank into a chair.

Arthur was not quick to speak. Merlin could not be sure but it seemed as though the prince was nervous. His head thumped painfully as he tried to guess what Arthur wanted to talk about. He rubbed his temples, praying that the pain would lessen. He suddenly felt that he would need all his wits about him during this talk.

"Are you okay Merlin?" Merlin was surprised at the concern that seemed to be coming from Arthur. Instead of his usual lie he mumbled, "Just a headache."

Arthur snorted again, like he knew that it was much more than a headache. Merlin sighed, "Arthur, I assume that you did not wait here all day just to inquire about my health, what's wrong?"

Suddenly Arthur seemed to find his resolve. "Merlin, I know that you are a warlock."

Merlin's insides seemed to turn to ice. He could not find his voice, he simply stared at Arthur with fear and shock written clearly across his face.

After several long, tense moments Merlin found his voice. "You saw my eyes change this morning?" Merlin wished his voice did not sound so pitifully weak.

"Yes. I brought you back here and questioned Gaius. He told me quite a few interesting things; things that I would have much rather heard from you," Arthur finished, looking hurt.

Merlin's head was spinning. "I'm sorry Arthur, only Gaius and my mother knew my secret. I did not feel that I could trust anyone else with it. It's dangerous to be a sorcerer in Camelot," Merlin finished with a small smile.

"What are you going to do now?" Merlin asked.

"We're going to find a way to make that blasted dragon leave you alone," Arthur stated simply.

This was the last thing that Merlin expected. "What about your father?" Merlin spluttered out.

"What about him? I hardly think you would want me to alert him about your current problem," Arthur was looking at Merlin like he was concerned for his sanity.

"I"M A SORCERER ARTHUR!," Merlin yelled in irritation. "You're simply going to look over that fact when you've stood by and let countless others be executed for being the same?"

Arthur's blue eyes turned fiery with intensity, "Merlin, I will never allow any harm to come to you. You are my best friend and I know now that you have saved my life countless times. I will guard your life as you have always guarded mine. I have had a wake up call today Merlin. I talked to a dragon! I've seen what evil my father has allowed to continue in this kingdom. There is little that I can do about that now, but I will do what I can by helping you. Please, trust me Merlin. Let me help you!"

Merlin slowly processed everything Arthur had said...he was not going to be executed...Arthur was willing to accept him for what he was. Merlin's heart felt lighter than it had in days. To his embarrassment he felt moisture in his eyes. He simply looked at Arthur and said, "Thank you."

"You spoke to Kilgarrah?" At Arthur's confusion he added, "the dragon?"

"Yes and it seemed as though he was talking in riddles, he wouldn't give me a straight answer. All I could take from the conversation is that he is not going to stop tormenting you until you hold up your end of the bargain."

Merlin sighed, he already knew this of course. "That's something I simply cannot do right now...I've seen terrible things..."he trailed off with a shudder.

"What have you seen?" Arthur asked.

"I looked into the crystal that night you asked me to guard it. I didn't want to! It was like the crystal willed me to look and in the end I gave into it," Merlin finished shamefully.

"I saw what looked like Kilgarrah destroying Camelot and I've been having nightmares...I'm starting to think that they are glimpses of the future."

"Yesterday, I would have told you that you are crazy for saying that...but now that I'm in the presence of Merlin, the boy who will one day be the greatest sorcerer of all time...I'm just going to agree with you," Arthur's eyes were twinkling like he was trying to hold back a laugh.

Merlin had no response for this besides a slight blush creeping up his neck. After a moment he said, "Well, if you agree that I could be seeing the future...what options do I have?" Merlin had decided not to tell Arthur that he had seen him dead in all of these nightmares. No need for that just yet.

Arthur looked very thoughtful. "The dragon said that Camelot was being threatened, but not by him...he mentioned a witch and her druid ally. It seemed that he felt he could prevent whatever they had planned. Does this mean anything to you?"

Merlin studied Arthur very closely and quickly decided that there was no way that he could tell Arthur that Morgana was the 'witch' in question. Not until he had proof at least...even then he did not want to believe that Morgana was capable of killing Arthur and destroying Camelot.

He answered finally, "I'm sorry, I don't know what he means. All I know is that setting him free now would be dangerous. He would surely kill your father."

Arthur shuddered, no matter what his father had done...he did not want any harm to come to him. "You would know better what the dragon is capable of...I just don't want you to suffer anymore."

Merlin was touched, it would take awhile to get used to Arthur his friend as he'd been dealing with Arthur the prat for so long. "It's not so bad," he said as he forced his face into what he hoped was a smile.

"_You fool, listen to Arthur before it's too late. Things are being set into motion on this very night. Allow me to stop them before danger arrives in this kingdom!"_

Agony lanced through Merlin's head as the dragon roared in his mind. "I'm sorry," he whispered weakly, "the biggest threat to Camelot right now is you."

"_The destruction of Camelot will rest upon your shoulders!" _Kilgarrah continued his tormenting song with renewed vigor.

Merlin could do nothing but grip his poor head in his hands and pray that he would pass out. Through bleary eyes he could see Arthur looking at him with concern. With strength he did not think he had, he made it to his feet. The world was already swaying sickeningly around him.

"I'm sorry Arthur, we'll have to figure this out tomorrow...the dragon is quite angry right now.," Merlin forced out as he turned towards his bedroom.

"Let me help you Merlin," Arthur said as he steadied Merlin and got him safely to his room.

Once Merlin was lying down he looked at Arthur with a sad smile. "I'm so glad you know."

Arthur simply gave him a reassuring smile and watched as his friend gave into unconsciousness. "We will figure this out; I cannot allow him to suffer any more," he vowed to his friend and to himself.

_Elsewhere in the castle..._

Morgana was brushing her long dark hair with great care, just as she did every night before sleeping. Gwen was preparing her bed and putting out most of the candles. All of a sudden she heard a familiar voice inside her head...

"_Morgana."_

She gasped in surprise and dropped her brush. Gwen rushed to her side. "Is everything alright milady?"

"Yes Gwen, I'm fine. That will be all for the evening," she finished.

"Yes milady," Gwen left, looking slightly confused.

"_I must speak with you; can you meet me just outside the gates of Camelot? You must not be seen."_

"Yes Mordred. I'll be quick."

Morgana dressed in her darkest cloak and made her stealthy way out of the castle. It was no problem sneaking past the guards as she and Arthur had been doing that since they were children. Within no time she was where Mordred had asked her to meet him.

She greeted the boy that was dear to her heart with a kiss on his forehead. He looked at her with piercing eyes. "Will you come into the forest with me?" he asked by way of greeting.

"What's going on Mordred? Why must we go into the forest?" She was not wanting to head there at night again. The last time she had gone she had been attacked by a pack of the wild sort of creature that filled the place.

He seemed to sense this. "Don't worry, you will not be harmed. Morgause will be watching out for us."

Morgana gasped, "Morgause is there? She wants to see me? Let's go." Morgana was anxious to see Morgause once again as she had cured the nightmares that had plagued her sleep nightly.

They rode for some time before they arrived at a small camp. Morgana saw the blond Morgause and could not help but feel joyed at seeing her again.

Morgause walked slowly towards her with a huge smile on her beautiful face. "Sister...we meet again."

_To be continued..._


End file.
